Who Migrates Overseas and Is It Worth Their While?: An Assessment of Household Survey Data from Bangladesh

The paper assesses the costs and household level benefits of migrating overseas from Bangladesh. We survey households who have had overseas migrants to assess their characteristics compared to non-migrants. We also compute various types of migration and remittance related transaction costs and discuss the channels by which overseas migration is financed, remittances sent and the constraints faced by the poorest. Using the Propensity Score Matching method to address household level selection bias, the paper finds that overseas migration conveys substantial benefits to families as measured by household consumption, use of modern agricultural inputs, and the level of household savings. We also offer some possible policy directions to strengthen the returns from migration as well as reduce some of the costs.